H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (12 February 2019) – Vista Group Signs Enterprise Agreement with Odeon Cinemas Group – Europe’s Largest Cinema Operator + “Writing is thinking. Writing is super hard. It takes more time to write than it does to talk.”

H.E.R.O.’s Journey in Tech (12 February 2019) – Vista Group Signs Enterprise Agreement with Odeon Cinemas Group – Europe’s Largest Cinema Operator + “Writing is thinking. Writing is super hard. It takes more time to write than it does to talk.”

Companies

• Brutal culling awaits China’s EV battery makers as support ends; Even top players like CATL and BYD are likely to feel the pain (Nikkei)
• For January to December 2018, Dragon Ball earned Bandai $1.1 billion, and $171 million for Toei Animation. (CB)
• Atlassian leads encryption law revolt as Peter Dutton stands firm (AFR)
• Reckon abandons battle with rivals MYOB, Xero (AFR)
• After drones, Info Edge’s Zomato will now pedal in your order on a bicycle (YS)
• Vista Group Signs Enterprise Agreement with Odeon Cinemas Group – Europe’s Largest Cinema Operator (APN)

BATTSS – Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, TSMC, Samsung, Softbank

• China’s Tencent Invests in Reddit, Sparking Free Speech Protests (Bloomberg)
• Over 800 million WeChat users sent digital monetary gifts during Lunar New Year (ZDN)
• SoftBank advances driverless dreams with delivery startup Nuro; $940m investment follows similar stakes in DoorDash and Zume Pizza (Nikkei, FT)
• Apple supply chain: TSMC to remain sole iPhone chip supplier (Digitimes)

FAANNMG – Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Netflix, Microsoft, Google

• Google Docs gets an API for task automation (TC)
• Google and Microsoft warn that AI may do dumb things (Wired)
• In Apple vs. Facebook, Let Users Decide; If people want to give up some data in exchange for money, they should be able to do so. (Bloomberg)
• Amazon to buy wi-fi startup eero to help customers better connect smart home devices. (Reuters)
• Nvidia Stock Gets Downgraded as Sales of Its New Chips Falter (Barron’s)

Asia Tech & Innovation Trends

• China’s new centralized clearinghouse handled 4.55 billion online transactions during spring festival (KRA)
• Chinese listed companies misjudge EV start-ups with excessive valuations; As of the end of January, A-share listed companies released their profit warnings, and most were caused by goodwill impairment. (GT)
• China’s 5G Riches Are a Blocked Number for Investors; The biggest beneficiaries of the country’s push for wireless supremacy are outside the public domain. (Bloomberg)
• Two former Qualcomm engineers are using AI to fix China’s healthcare problem (TC)
• Korean fintech unicorn eyes internet-only bank with Shinhan (Investor)
• Ecommerce rules aim for vendor neutrality; Restrictions on Amazon’s JVs and Flipkart’s flash sales seek to level the playground with offline retailers (Forbes)
• Naspers/OLX-backed used car sales platform in Indonesia fuels up with $10m (KRA)
• Singapore’s Zilingo raises US$226 million to expand fashion site inspired by Bangkok’s Chatuchak market (SCMP); Zilingo raises US$226 million in series D, likely to become Southeast Asia’s next unicorn (KRA)
• India’s tech rules are taking on a Chinese quality (Reuters)

Global Tech & Innovation Trends

• LinkedIn debuts LinkedIn Live, a new live video broadcast service (TC)
• Aurora co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson on the company’s new investor, Amazon, and much more (TC)
• DoorDash Discusses Funding at Over $6 Billion Valuation, Sources Say (Bloomberg)
• IBM’s AI debate computer loses to human champion but the computer demonstrated the increasingly complex arguments that AI is starting to make. The AI we’re used to seeing — like digital assistants built into smart speakers — can only be used in very narrow ways, such as answering specific questions. But IBM’s system shows how the technology may also be used to explore problems that don’t necessarily have a single answer. (CNN)
• Workday Stock to Rally on New Deal Wins, Says Analyst (Barron’s)
• Uber, Lyft Get IPO Feedback as Latest Shutdown Looms (Bloomberg)
• Bottom-Up: The Next Wave in B2B Software (Medium)
• Retracing a Bumpy Road to Redemption for Nokia (EE Times)
• EA’s ‘Fortnite’ rival wins 10 million gamers in three days (Reuters)

Life

• Companies mortgage their moat when they press their advantage too hard and alienate stakeholders in the process. This practice can be particularly tempting for executives aiming to MAXIMIZE SHORT-TERM PERFORMANCE at the expense of long durability (II)
• Malcolm Gladwell and Steven Johnson on How to Make Life’s Tough Decisions (Heleo)
• The Surprising Value of Obvious Insights (MIT)
• “Writing is thinking. Writing is super hard. It takes more time to write than it does to talk.” The act of writing, forces the author to think through all the details and steps required to share the lesson. It avoids what happens in business all the time which is “I just know” or “experience” and brings along the team and other job functions on thinking. (SS, Medium)